INTERVIEW: “Wherever I Go, I Will Bring Atlanta With Me”: Jai’Len Josey Puts Herself First on "Serial Romantic"

The R&B-pop hitmaker dishes on her newest album

ATL's Jai'Len Josey releases her newest record Serial Romantic (Photo by Respective Collective)

With her bold Southern flair and bubbly personality, Jai’Len Josey is a multi-talented artist from the heart of East Atlanta. The rising starlet is charming audiences with her brand-new album, Serial Romantic, and thanks to °1824, Art Seen ATL had the chance to chat with Josey ahead of the project’s release.

Josey’s love of music began at an early age. With a mother from Detroit, she was gifted a robust musical education in a wide range of genres—ghettotech, house, R&B, instrumentals, jazz, and more. “My mother would make sure the house was filled with Stevie Nicks, Aretha [Franklin], Nina Simone, Luther [Vandross],” Josey listed. “The house was a club when she was cleaning.” Most notably, Josey finds inspiration from the great Stevie Wonder. The singer shared that several tracks on Serial Romantic were inspired by Wonder’s signature style: “His influences are so pivotal when it comes to different key changes and being really smart when it comes to music. [...] I wanted to see if I could challenge myself on my own songs to find pockets of different notes in different songs in the way Stevie has given to us.”

These classic artists, among many others, motivated Josey to frequently incorporate orchestral elements in throughout Serial Romantic. Josey loves art in all forms, and she’s just as comfortable onstage as she is in the studio. She originated the role of Pearl in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical on Broadway and would make beats in her dressing room whilst getting ready for the show. “Coming from Broadway, I would sit in the pit and listen to the brass and strings when my time on stage was done,” she smiled. “Everything I do musically needs live instrumentation.” The singer noted that live performance gave her the confidence she needed to venture into music, and she’s also held tightly to advice from her mentor, fellow multi-hyphenate Cynthia Erivo. “[Erivo taught me to] be quiet,” Josey laughed. “I was obnoxious when I was younger when we met, but she showed me you can be calm, that your heartbeat can be calm, and you can walk with grace. If I can control my heartbeat and my nerves, I can control this situation and this scenario.”

When assembling the album, Josey said she viewed the project through an author’s lens. From a high-energy 80s aerobics instructor for “New Girl,” to a sultry office siren on “Freak,” to a lovesick girl who missed the train on “Won’t Force You,” each track is inspired by different characters in an imaginary novel. “Serial Romantic is based on an author writing this book and all the characters she has to portray to procure love,” Josey explained. “At the end, she becomes the one character that needs to be at the forefront.” These literary concepts fit right in with the singer’s songwriting style, as she deemed herself a “big fan” of grammar and storytelling devices:

“I love a good metaphor. Even if I’m not truly saying everything, I’m technically saying it someway and some place. There’s a mystique to not saying the actual feeling but making somebody feel it in another way. I’m a big fan of grammar, so I’ll probably use a metaphor. If I don’t wanna dive too deep into something, I’ll find a clever way to say it. Metaphors and grammar are the way I do my best at hiding and not telling the full truth.”

Serial Romantic also represents a newfound collaborative partnership between Josey and Tricky Stewart, a multi-award-winning producer with credits on songs from the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Katy Perry. The singer shared that working with Stewart (affectionately known as “The Finisher” for his ability to add the perfect touches to songs) broadened her horizons in what was possible for production. “I think I see the beauty in collaboration and more so respect it now,” she noted. “Tricky Stewart gave me the ability to be an artist in my own right, but to also allow someone to make my work better.”

As a proud Atlanta native, Josey’s Georgia roots shine through on everything she does. She described the city’s ability to convey “the sounds of life” and shared memories of hanging out on the train tracks and going to American Deli during her days at Tri-Cities High School in East Point. “I was also a magnet kid, so when we were rehearsing for shows and stuff, we’d just be amongst the band kids and amongst music,” she added. “The love that the city has, it’s inevitable for it to be in my music and embedded in me. The way that hospitality goes and just being a southern girl. It’s in my body and in my vibe.”

“Ain’t no other way to be but southern. I feel like, regardless of what genre I touch, whereover I go, I will bring Atlanta with me. They’ll hear it, and I’m grateful I get to do that for my city.”

Ultimately, Serial Romantic is rooted in being “selfish” and choosing yourself after losing your identity in relationships of all kinds. With this project, Josey sought to preach a message of self-love and peace with yourself, regardless of what life throws your way. “We shouldn’t feel bad that we’re taking a little bit of time from loving everyone to love on ourselves,” she stated. “There are stories out there where people consistently go through the same cycle until they break it and find truth within. I am one of those people. [...] It’s okay to break away from what you’re in right now to find a better experience to live in.”            

Serial Romantic is out now on all streaming platforms.